Weight gain

The main symptom of binge eating is weight gain. Many people with the disorder are already seriously overweight. People carrying too much weight are vulnerable to other health problems associated with obesity, including:

• high cholesterol,
• high blood pressure,
• diabetes,
• gallbladder disease, and
• heart disease.

Other physical symptoms

In addition, the physical effects on the body caused by fluctuating blood sugar levels are:

• sugar cravings,
• stomach pains,
• intolerance to heat and cold, and
• headaches.

Psychological effects

People who binge eat are unable to understand why they cannot control their body's sugar cravings, and become trapped in a cycle of bingeing, guilt, restrain and bingeing.

Binge eaters blame themselves for their weakness, which reduces their sense of self-esteem even further. Binge eating may cause the following psychological problems:

• depression,
• panic attacks,
• lack of concentration,
• hopelessness, and
• anxiety.